Paula "Inner City Chick" K.'s Profile

Fatburger is a purveyor of fast food burgers that are definitely a cut above other fast food places. The patty is thin but juicy, and lacks a grilled flavour. The burger gets most of its bite from the added condiments, of which there is a good amount of choice and is very fresh. The bun is also very fresh. With fries and a drink, even with a combo deal, you're almost paying as much as a sit-down restaurant. Definitely check out their shakes, as they are very, very good.

Ngu Binh is located in the west end's Sandy Lane strip mall, in the spot where several ill-fated restaurants have previously existed. I hope Ngu Binh fares better because the food is excellent.

I ordered a bowl of Pho Tai, which is medium-well steak in broth with noodles. At $10, it was pricier than bowls of pho in Chinatown, but it was large and had a lot of meat in it, which was lean and tender. The brother was deep and meaty, with enough herbs to give the flavour multiple layers.

On the other side of the table was one of the three combos. It started with wonton soup which looked a lot more exciting than other bowls I have seen of it. There was onion and lettuce garnish, for one. My friend said that usually the broth is bland, but this one was flavourful. His main plate had grilled beef and chicken with vermicelli noodles (rice was also an option). I tried a piece of the grilled chicken - wow. The flavour just blew me away. Apparently, the beef was pretty good also. I think next time I will try a vermicelli bowl with beef or chicken. Combos range in price from around $13-$15.

The menu has an extensive range of rice, vermicelli, stir fries, and  fried rice dishes. There are a few domestic and imported beers, and red wine. Take out is available.

I found Ngu Binh to have a great atmosphere. It is clean and bright, and the service is friendly. I am excited to see more opportunities to enjoy Vietnamese food in the west end.

For a small store, there is a very decent selection of beers (many of them chilled), wine, and assorted rum and whiskey and other spirits. The prices seemed reasonable, and there were many a good bottle of wine under $20. Service is very friendly and I am glad I stopped in. If you are in need of alcoholic beverages and near Sandy Lane Liquor, definitely stop in and give them a try.

A touch of Whyte Avenue (or thereabouts) has made its way to the West End with this new location of Wild Earth. Smaller than its southside counterpart, the cafe has an excellent selection of both hot and cold drinks, salads, sandwiches, soups, and treats galore. What really blows me away though is the atmosphere. It is artistic, warm, and inviting. I stopped in for the first time this afternoon just to grab a coffee to go, and I seriously wishes I could stay for a while. It's the perfect place to settle down with a book or with friends. As the previous reviewer notes, the location is easily accessible as the 112 bus route runs right past it. I have high hopes that Wild Earth Cafe is going to become a hot spot to hand out at in the west end.

I went here today for the first time because I absolutely had to see The Muppets on the big screen. Wow - the place is huge! Definitely adequate parking. The seats are comfortable, have lots of leg room, and recline. I loved that there are multiple sets of washrooms conveniently located close to the theatres. Refreshments are expensive, but that's pretty much the story in all movie multiplexes - good variety, though. I wish the place was more accessible by public transit, but I discovered with planning it is not impossible.

Small, but packed with toys, figurines, diecast toys, board games, and model kits. Darcy has been in the business for over 25 years and knows his stuff. I found the prices slightly higher on model kits than in other hobby stores, but the selection is excellent. If you are a Star Wars or Star Trek fan, you will find loads of collectibles. There is also a great selection of Vancouver Olympics memorabilia, collectible Canada Mint coins, puzzles, and items for people who make model train sets and enjoy remote control vehicles. Everything is on sale right now, as Darcy is considering taking his business to web only, but this is still a local business that any Edmonton hobby enthusiast should check out.

This Asian fusion fast food restaurant has a similar menu (except larger) to the now-defunct Rice Bowl Express that was located on 149 Street. The place is larger, the menu has been expanded, and patrons can expect a variety of bowls inspired by Japanese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Korean cuisine. For dessert, there is bubble tea and frozen yoghurt.

I had a chicken satay bowl which came on coconut rice. It took me a while to realize that the meat and veggies were in a plastic bowl suspended above the rice. One has to pull out the top bowl and pour it over the rice. This was somewhat awkward.  The portion was decent enough, but the chicken did not taste fresh to me, and it looked a little undercooked at points.

My other half had teriyaki beef, and he enjoyed it, but said it wasn't much better or different than he gets at Tokyo Express.

Service was reasonably fast, and prices range from $7-$10 per bowl.

I probably would eat here in the future if I was in the area and needed to grab something quick, but I would not go out of my way.

This restaurant was formerly known as The Rice Pad, but has since changed its name and, presumably, its ownership. The menu contains the predictable selection of Vietnamese and Chinese dishes to be found at such a restaurants, but prices are a a dollar or two higher. Likely this is a result of the location, but after sampling the food here, it is more likely because of the high quality of the food and huge - and I mean, huge - portions.

We spent a while scanning the menu, full of choices of pho, noodle bowls, rice dishes, and standard Westernized Chinese fare like ginger beef and lemon chicken. My dining partner went for the lemon chicken. He was presented with a large plate containing three chicken breasts, battered and fried to a golden brown. The chicken was juicy and plump, while the coating was crispy and not too greasy. We noted that with an order of rice, we could have shared it for lunch. The sweet lemon sauce was served in a bowl to the side, allowing the customer to used as much or as little as per one's taste.

I went for one of the restaurant's special items, which was stewed beef brisket soup. I had a choice of egg or rice noodles, and I opted for rice. Surprisingly, it took longer for my soup to arrive - by the time it came, the lemon chicken was half gone. However, it was worth the wait. The bowl was so large, I could have gone swimming in it. Huge chunks of reasonably lean brisket floated atop a mountain of noodles, as did a number of large and tender carrot pieces. The broth was so aromatic, its scent wafted all through our table, and it was a bit spicier than other Vietnamese stews I have had. I think a spicy paprika may have been used (also attributing to the broth's orange colour), but I could also taste cloves and other seasonings. It was fantastic.

The interior of the restaurant has not changed. It is large and spacious, with two levels of seating. Service is reasonably friendly, although our waitress disappeared after our food was served. That aside, the food alone is reason to come here. Pho Rice Pot is easily one of the best Asian restaurants in west Edmonton.

If you have a craving for Mediterranean food in the west end, Lynnwood Mediterranean Grill should satisfy it. The small menu of both Middle Eastern and Western food is presented with fresh ingredients, a clean atmosphere, and friendly service.

Located in the corner of a strip mall next to a bank and drug store, the cafe is small but bright and inviting. You can smell the grilling meat and seasonings as soon as you walk through the door. Order your food at the counter, and it will be brought to your table if you are eating in. All items are available for take out - and, the place delivers!

A trusted friend/significant other tried Lynnwood Mediterranean Grill last evening. He had a jumbo donair, and thought it was one of the biggest and finest donairs he had ever had (and this man knows his donairs). So, we headed there today for lunch. As he was still full from last night (seriously!) he just had a small order of fries. He enjoyed them and said they were better than fast food ones.

I had a beef kabab wrap. When I ordered it, I was told it would be a few minutes because everything is cooked fresh. Of course I did not mind - I like to hear that sort of thing. It was worth the wait. The cubes of beef were grilled to perfection and served in a fresh pita with parsley, tahini sauce, tomatoes, pickles, and pickled turnip (I held the onions). I especially enjoyed the fresh taste the parsley gave the wrap. It was a bit messy to eat, but I totally enjoyed it.

Other menu items include grape leaves (dolmas), several salads, hummus, and kabab plates of chicken, beef, or kafta (spiced ground beef). You can also order a trio kabab plate with chicken, beef, and kafta together. If you are vegetarian, the meat can be replaced with falafel balls (also available in a wrap, as are chicken and kafta).

Western menu items include burgers, chicken fingers, chicken wings, onion rings, and chicken nuggets. Donairs come with your choice of sweet tzatziki, garlic, or tahini sauce.

The prices here are very reasonable. My small wrap was only around $7 and a large one with more meat would have only been a dollar extra. Entree plates range from $14-$16.

The meat is Halal and the cafe is open seven days a week. Shisha is also available.

Vegetarians in Edmonton have another option for Asian food, thanks to Veggie Garden Restaurant.

The interior of the restaurant is very similar to the one that inhabited the space prior, save for the booth seats being reupholstered. It is large, bright, and very clean.

What has changed quite a bit is the menu. It consists of page after page of familiar Vietnamese and Chinese dishes, but with no meat products whatsoever. Instead of "real" chicken, beef, pork, and seafood, substitutes are made from soy and gluten. Tofu is another protein found commonly in the dishes at Veggie Garden. Fish sauce is not served alongside the meals, nor is oyster sauce incorporated into the food.

I ordered a rice noodle soup with tofu, mushrooms, dried bean curd, veggie ham, and veggie chicken. It was basically a vegetarian version of pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) with the works. The large bowl was full of noodles, different kinds of mushrooms, and the various proteins. The veggie ham was definitely the winner - it looked and tasted similar to the real thing. The veggie chicken had a chicken-like taste, with a texture similar to skin. The few cubes of tofu were fried and the bean curd was chewy and sweet.

My dining companion chose stirfried thick rice noodles topped with mushrooms, tofu, and mixed vegetables. He mostly wanted the thick rice noodles, and paid less attention to what they were served with. "What are these?" he asked, pointing to one of the tofu cubes. He groaned when I told him what it was, but turned out to like it after putting the morsel in his mouth. When he was finished, he had no complaints.

At only around $7 for each of our dishes, Veggie Garden has incredible value. For another few dollars we had an appetizer of cilantro cakes. They were like green onion cakes, but with cilantro instead of the onion. The flavour of the cilantro was not as bold as green onion, but the cakes were delightfully crispy and served with a rather interesting pink sweet sauce.

Other menu items include a variety of soups, vermicelli noodle bowls, stir fries, chow mein, fried rice, and sizzling platters. Most meals are under $10 and most menu items are also suitable for vegans (no animal products).

A sign on the wall (and notice on their website) proclaims four commitments:

1. 100% Vegetarian - no meat products of any kind
2. No MSG
3. A clean and family atmosphere
4. Affordable pricing and great promotions

Veggie Garden is a restaurant that keeps its promises.